"I've decided I kind of missed that writing creative stuff, so I'm trying to get back into writing, and that's getting into a certain headspace and personal drive," he said.

"I've got some lyrical ideas on paper that are good. I've started to thrash around at the piano. A lot of it is hit and miss," he said. "All you need is something to hang an idea on and you're off."

There's still time to steel ourselves: he added that he probably won't tour (possibly with Genesis) until the end of next year at the earliest (he wants to spend as much time as possible with his two sons, which was part of the reason he cited for his retirement in the first place).

Speaking of his sons, Collins said they watch his old concerts with him sometimes, and ask "tough questions." Hmm! Like "why are you such a Peter Gabriel rip off?" or "what is the matter with you, covering an awesome song by the Supremes? Like you could do better?" or perhaps "Sussudio?"

No, they asked him "why he makes a crazy laugh on the single 'Mama' from Genesis' 1983 self-titled album." Ok.

Collins also said he "can't believe that amount of hate that is out there" and that it "kind of undermines your confidence."

"We're all sensitive chaps, you know," he added. Oops. Sorry, Phil.

In his defense, the Guardian recently wrote an article that called him "the godfather of popular culture," claiming that "Phil's drumming has inspired everyone from Led Zeppelin to a gorilla," "Phil inspired a classic scene in American Psycho" and "Phil is an icon of American rap and R&B," among other things.